Marching Forth!

In our Friday night Bible study at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we discussed how Satan is well-versed in the Scripture.  After Jesus defused a temptation from the devil by quoting the word of God, Satan employed a verse from the Psalms to encourage Jesus to do his will rather than the Father's will.  The devil used a tactic people can use as well, to hijack passages from the Bible they do not believe or accept as true to condemn, guilt or manipulate other people.  Though Satan knew the words of Scripture it is evident he did not understand it, for had he considered the full passage he wrenched out of context he would have been confronted with his own ruin. Matthew 4:5-6 tells us, " Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,  6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your ...

As Christians read the Bible with a hungry, willing heart, the Holy Spirit opens our understanding to notice deeper connections we did not see on the surface.  Sometimes people assume "deeper" revelations of God are new, things previously unheard or unknown, when they are primarily actually affirmations of the truth God has already revealed.  God is exceedingly generous with His wisdom and has made it available and understandable to those who lack it.  In the book of Proverbs Wisdom is personified of standing in the street and calling out to anyone who will listen, and God continues to speak in this manner today through the Scriptures. While going through an inductive Bible study lesson, I was reminded of a wonderful connection of two passages that are not often placed together in Sunday School:  Jesus feeding the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish and His interaction with the two disciples in Emmaus.  In the first instance Jesus showed compassion for...

In the biblical record of king David's last words, he said in  2 Samuel 23:3-5 :  " The God of Israel said, t he Rock of Israel spoke to me: 'He who rules over men must be just,  r uling in the fear of God.  4 And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a  morning without clouds,  l ike the tender grass springing out of the earth,  b y clear shining after rain.'  5 "Although my house is not so with God, y et He has made with me an everlasting covenant,  o rdered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire;  w ill He not make it increase ?"  David considered the calling of God to rule justly in the fear of the LORD.  As the sun rises and scatters darkness with light,  Proverbs 20:8 illustrates the impact of a righteous king:  " A king who sits on the throne of judgment s catters all evil with his eyes ." David freely acknowledged he and his house had not...

On the subject of opening the door to Jesus who knocks, there is an insightful interaction in the Song of Solomon .  At one time the Shulamite was deeply smitten by the affection and love of her spouse, but when he came knocking at the door it was evident her feelings toward him had cooled.  He lovingly called out to her as he knocked, his hair wet by dew, yet she was reluctant to climb out of bed to let him in. In response to her husband standing at the door, Song of Songs 5:3 shows the Shulamite's made herself of focus and attention:  " I have taken off my robe; h ow can I put it on again? I have washed my feet;  h ow can I defile them ?"  Her husband knocked at an inconvenient and unexpected time since she had already climbed into bed.  Getting up meant unwanted labour of dressing and likely needing to wash her feet again after walking on the ground.  She did not spare a thought of how cold and wet her spouse was as she considered whether to ris...

Years ago I tore my ACL and was on crutches for awhile during the rehabilitation process.  While I would have preferred not to have needed crutches to walk around, they helped me move more easily in the early days of recovery.  Right after surgery the medical team wanted me up and bending my leg, embracing the pain to be back on my feet and working towards full health.  My physical therapist gave me exercises to strengthen my body, and the plan was to rely on the crutches less and less.  After a couple of weeks, the crutches were stored in the garage where they have remained unused to this day--and hopefully will not be needed again. The subject of crutches came up for me while studying this week.  After gathering the prophets of Baal and the people of Israel together to Mt. Carmel, the prophet of God Elijah addressed everyone in  1 Kings 18:21 :  " And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LO...

After Joab and David's men routed Absalom and his army, the biblical narrative shares an insightful interaction between the general and Ahimaaz.   2 Samuel 18:19-21 reads, " Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the LORD has avenged him of his enemies."  20  And Joab said to him, "You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king's son is dead."  21  Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran ."  Ahimaaz was keen to run to the king with news, but Joab sent a Cushite (a man of Ethiopia) who was an eyewitness of the events of the day.  The Cushite was obviously a trustworthy man and well-spoken, for Joab did not put words in his mouth or coach him at all. Ahimaaz, however, would not be deterred.   2 Samuel 18:22-23 says, " And A...

During my time working as a union mechanical insulator, our industry expanded to include firestopping.  This had nothing to do with fighting fires but was intended to contain fires and prevent them from spreading--especially in commercial buildings.  Wherever ducts, pipes and electrical conduit penetrate concrete floors and walls, fire and toxic fumes could potentially spread and endanger the lives of people trying to evacuate.  Most applications required packing the penetration with rock wool and then adding a layer of firestop caulking that, when heated, would expand and fill the gap left by melted pipes or wiring.  Stopping the spread of fire allows more time for people to escape and for firefighters to extinguish the blaze. While not everyone is trained to install firestopping, it is everyone's calling as children of God to be one who takes action to ensure the fires caused by lies, boasting or gossip stop with us.  As fire is contained by a fire-rated corri...

Filled with the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist was a man who demonstrated humility.  He was a man who had understanding of God's calling and purpose in his life, one crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the LORD Jesus Christ.  His sanctified life in the fear of God led people to follow him, and he was faithful to lead his disciples to follow Jesus.  John embraced turnover in his ministry, for as he said to his disciples who were concerned about the notoriety, attention and followers Jesus had that seemed to detract from John's efforts:  " He must increase, but I must decrease ." ( John 3:30 )  John knew his ministry was to point people to Jesus so they might follow him instead, and he was content to continue baptising people to proclaim Jesus as the One who baptises with the Holy Spirit and fire. As a parent, it is good to know our children are gifts from God we are called to love, provide for, guide in godliness by example and faithfully discipline....

When it comes to surrender, not all surrendering is the same.  There is a surrender that is forced upon others by brute force.  A proud fighter taps out because he is losing consciousness while in a choke hold, and a nation surrenders during war when it is clear surrender is necessary for their survival.  There remains animosity and the desire to fight on, but it simply isn't possible.  There is another version of surrender, when someone is so beaten down and detached they simply do not care what happens.  The duration of the fight and inability to overcome leads to surrender that gives up from utter hopelessness. These kinds of surrender motivated by circumstances out of our control and hopelessness are of little value in the Christian life because it is not according to faith in God as revealed in Scripture.  When we sing, "I surrender all" it ought to be a surrender that is glad submission, a joyful resignation of ourselves and situation into the hands o...

I remember driving up a mountain road and noticed warning signs of something being wrong with our car.  Suddenly my wife and I commented on a sweet smell, like syrup on pancakes.  Then I saw water pooling around the front edge of the bonnet that slowly reached like long fingers towards the windscreen.  As I saw the temperature gauge quickly begin to soar, it was evident our radiator had sprung a leak, and we were losing coolant fast.  Thankfully because I recognised the warning signs of mechanical failure, I was able to pull over and have the vehicle towed and organise the repair without additional damage. Many times it is not until after something goes catastrophically wrong that we realise we missed some warning signs.  Many of us have shrugged off or explained away warnings signs as irrelevant which would have been red flags to the observant.  Absalom, David's son, had many red flags that preceded his rise to power by usurping his father's kingdom. ...

During Bible study last night, we spoke about Noah releasing birds from the ark after the flood to see if the waters had abated from the earth.  After the tops of the mountains were seen from his window for 40 days, Noah sent out a raven and a dove.   Genesis 8:9 reads, " But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself ."  Noah waited seven days and then released the dove again, and this time she returned carrying an olive leaf in her beak.  Seven days later he sent out the dove again, and that was the last Noah saw her because she did not return. One way Jesus was identified as the Messiah to Israel and the world was when John baptised Jesus.  He said this was one reason the prophet John baptised people in water in  John 1:31-33 :  " I did not know Him; but that He sh...

I have lived long enough to see topics debated in classrooms that were supported by a minority of students be adopted by various States in the U.S. and other countries--things like the legalisation of marijuana and euthanasia.  As public opinion and the moral and ethical stances of people can shift over time, so does the English language.  The phrasing of things often evolves to sound more acceptable to those opposed to the idea.  For instance, I observed the concept of "gay marriage" change to "same-sex marriage" and finally land on "marriage equality."  While society and terminology is bound to change, I am willing to be one of those who make an effort to hold fast to the orthodox meaning of words like "marriage," as it is very specific in a biblical sense:  the lifelong union of one man and one woman by God.   All students of God's word know that words matter:  undermining or changing the meaning of words leads people into confusion, misun...

Though it seems there is always a chore that needs doing, it is satisfying when it is done.  It is pleasing to see your cleaning, sorting or arranging makes a tangible difference.  While the marks of the wheels of the lawn mower are fresh on the lawn and the brushes of the vacuum are plain in carpet, it is gratifying evidence of progress.  I have noticed myself at times going out of my way to take a moment to look at a completed job, to bask in the glow of a task finished well. Today I had an interesting moment while doing a bit of vacuuming.  After using a car, appliance or tool for awhile, I become aware when things sound different .  Though my hearing isn't the greatest, it seemed the vacuum had a higher pitched whine than usual.  For awhile I thought little of it as the carpet bowed before the vacuum brushes like subjects paying homage to their king.  When I used the crevice tool, the suction seemed a bit weak so I opened the case.  I was surp...

From my observations, Christians in our day sometimes struggle with the relevance of the Law of Moses.  Some view it as being fulfilled and thus relevant only from a historical perspective, and others are confused about what believers are obligated to obey--because the Law is righteous and good.  The Sermon on the Mount shows Jesus established a standard higher than that of Mosaic Law rather than encouraging lawlessness, for by faith in Jesus we hear and obey Him.  Paul later explained the Law was given to reveal our sinfulness and need for forgiveness and salvation, likening it to a tutor that led sinners by the hand to trust in Jesus. Those who have received the Gospel can have a negative bias against the Law of God, grateful we Gentiles are not obligated to live as Jews who traditionally observe the Law.  This attitude can actually be borne out of selfishness and love for our own lives rather than willingness to die to self, take up our cross daily and follow Jesu...

Our inclination as humans is to bring the almighty God down to our level--or even the level of a worthless idol.  Though God created mankind in His own image, we can adopt a concept of God that is very much like ourselves.  Our lack of faith in God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture results in us colouring God by our own weakness and inability.  Worse than that, we can assume He agrees with and approves of our sin.  Crazy, right?  But God rebuked His people for this very thing. God said to His people who did wickedly in  Psalm 50:16-21 :  " But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to declare My statutes,  o r take My covenant in your mouth,  17  seeing you hate instruction a nd cast My words behind you?  18  When you saw a thief, you consented with him, a nd have been a partaker with adulterers.  19  You give your mouth to evil, a nd your tongue frames deceit.  20  You sit and speak agains...

A powerful witness of God's power to save is the testimony of lives changed by faith in Jesus.  Whilst being born-again through the Gospel does not always result in immediate, overt transformation, what God does on the inside is real and profound.  Jesus Christ alone can change Saul of Tarsus the Pharisee to Paul the apostle.  He went from going on the warpath to accuse and persecute Christians to gladly counting everything loss for the sake of knowing Jesus Christ, and he willingly gave his life rather than deny the LORD Jesus. Paul shared how being in Christ transformed his life in  2 Corinthians 5:14-17 :  " For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;  15  and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.  16  Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ ac...

" A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  35   By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another . " John 13:34-36 God's people were commanded to love the LORD their God with all their hearts, and Jesus upped the ante in person as Immanuel to love one another as He loved them.  It was not boldness, devotion, intelligence or study of God's word but the love of Jesus that was to be their defining characteristic as His disciples.  God's love stands alone from all love that is found in the world.  Jesus went on to demonstrate His love for sinners by freely and willingly dying on the cross to atone for lost sinners so they might have abundant life through Him. The love of Jesus was seen throughout His life and ministry on earth, and it was brought to the attention of the people of Bethany by His tears.  Jesus went to Bethany after He knew His friend Lazaru...

The Christian's faith in God is according to knowledge revealed in the Bible, God's word.  As it is written, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" ( Romans 10:16-17 ).  As conversations between parents can go over their young children's heads, even when we have read through the Scriptures many times it is likely timeless truth has escaped the notice of born-again children of God until now.  There are also many things we know and believe to be true we have yet to appropriate, apply to our lives or guide our perspective.  Exposure to the word of God leads to our salvation, and a regular diet of God's word contributes mightily to our sanctification and spiritual maturity. During recent study I came across a quote attributed to D.L. Moody that drove home an important point:  " He who is born once will die twice; he who is born twice will die once ."  Every living human being was born of two parents, and due to sin everyone will die phys...

" Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,  2 "Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD : "I remember you,  t he kindness of your youth,  t he love of your betrothal,  w hen you went after Me in the wilderness,  i n a land not sown ." Jeremiah 2:1-2 God is the same yesterday, today and forever; He is faithful and good towards all, and His people know this well.  Through the prophet God addressed His people, the children of Israel, about how over time they had changed.  During the season when God led them like a flock through the wilderness, they followed Him by faith with fervent desire.  This newborn nation followed God like a betrothed woman sought out her husband to walk with him--with only eyes for Him.  Sadly, Israel's devotion and kindness toward God did not remain steadfast.  God remembered how Israel once followed Him in the wilderness:  in a land not sown. It is significant Israel fol...

Enjoyable and profitable conversation occurs when people are attentive to one another, listening and speaking in turn.  This exchange of ideas and deepening of relationship is greatly hindered if one does all the talking, if they habitually interrupt one another, or walks away without listening.  Every culture has its own nuance of what constitutes polite manners and decorum while conversing with one another, and consideration of the feelings and views of others is generally a good approach. Ironically, our approach to conversing with people can be practically ignored in our prayers to God.  I have been guilty of doing all the talking and not taking a moment to still my heart and be silent before King Jesus, barging into his presence as if He does not know what I'm going to say.  I have made the mistake Peter did when Jesus was transfigured before his eyes, speaking because he did not know what to say.  When I have sought God's guidance and wisdom concerning a m...